Global Justice Clinic - for JDs

Introduction

The Global Justice Clinic engages in work to prevent, challenge, and redress rights violations related to inequality. Working on cases and projects that involve domestic and cross-border human rights violations, the consequences of conduct by state and non-state actors, and emerging problems that require close collaboration between actors at the local and international levels, students engage in human rights research and investigation, advocacy, legal empowerment, and, occasionally, litigation in domestic and international settings. Serving as partners, advisers, or co-counsel, Clinic students work side-by-side with social justice and human rights activists from the United States and around the world. The Global Justice Clinic is committed to working in a rights-based manner and uses legal empowerment strategies aimed at supporting those most directly impacted by human rights violations to lead the effort for justice and inclusive progress.

Course Description

Project work consists of collaborations with communities, clients, human rights organizations and social movement actors. Substantively, the work focuses on issues related to local and global injustice such as: Indigenous land rights and self-determination; ending the cycle of incarceration; efforts to combat the negative impacts of transnational corporations on rights such as the rights to water and health; climate (in)justice, reparations, and human rights and the environment; and the human rights of immigrants and other marginalized groups. These projects give students an opportunity to find their role alongside collaborative partners in formulating policy, conducting research, using legal redress mechanisms, co-creating legal education resources, and strategizing responses to challenging human rights problems.

The seminar is a collaborative effort to learn about, reflect on, critique, and apply domestic and international human rights and social justice strategies to respond to global injustice. The seminar teaches core skills involved in human rights work, including working with international and regional human rights bodies; power mapping and other tools to identify advocacy targets and determine strategy; social science research methods including interviewing and participatory action research; report writing; working with the media; and litigation. Students also address questions of ethical, political, and professional responsibility related to social justice and human rights work.

Learning Outcomes

• Learn about and advance human rights and social justice through legal empowerment and rights-based advocacy.
• Take responsibility for their role in the real-world work of the Clinic, including by: (a) taking ownership of and completing their share of the work to the best of their ability in the circumstances; (b) being an active participant in the overall direction and management of project work; (c) being accountable to partners/allies and clients—including work for clients, which entail specific and identifiable legal and ethical rules and responsibilities; and (d) communicating limits, mistakes, and concerns.
• Explore the ethical, political, and legal rules, frameworks, and challenges relevant to our roles as lawyers alongside impacted communities, social justice activists, and other advocates. This includes engaging with and reflecting on working cross-culturally and with recognizing and addressing bias and racism in legal systems.
• Learn how to manage a project alongside clinic partners, clients, and allies, remaining accountable to those most directly impacted and practicing legal empowerment to ensure that partners actively participate in strategy and decision making.  
• Improve their research and writing skills, including by trying to make legal and other technical writing accessible for all.
• Improve their collaboration skills and learn new ways to make teamwork effective, including by developing team processes and sharing feedback.

Qualifications for Applicants

GJC invites all law students interested in solidarity approaches to addressing injustice to apply for the Clinic. Fluency in a language in addition to English is useful, but not required; please note the languages you speak and write—and at what level—along with other qualifications in your application. GJC values experience in activism and organizing for social change; please similarly note this in your application. While a course in International Law and International Human Rights Law is helpful, neither is required to apply.

Credit Structure and Time Commitment Expected

The clinic seminar meets once per week for 2 hours and 50 minutes, for 3 credits. Students also receive 3 credits for the fieldwork component, for a total of 6 credits per semester, and 12 credits per year. This clinic is time-intensive. Students will be expected to devote approximately sixteen hours per week to their clinic project work in addition to the time allotted to reading, written, and simulation assignments for the seminar. Students applying to the clinic should ensure that they are able to make such a time commitment. At times projects require student work during winter and spring breaks. We recommend that students speak to prior clinic students to get a sense of the workload and requirements.

Application Procedure

Students should submit the standard application, a resume, and a grade transcript via CAMS and follow the clinical program’s timeline for JD applications. Selected student applicants will be contacted for an interview.

The Global Justice Clinic and United Nations Diplomacy Clinic occasionally work on similar legal issues but for and with different types of clients. As such, there is a potential for conflicts of interest that may not allow students to participate in both clinics. Students that are interested in participating in both clinics (as a 2L and then as a 3L, respectively) should be in touch with the clinic professors to ensure that there is no conflict in the relevant year.

Students who have completed the Global Justice Clinic as 2Ls may be eligible to take the Advanced Global Justice as 3Ls for either the Fall or Spring semester. This will involve a 1-credit seminar and 1-2 credits of fieldwork (2 is the default). There is no formal application process for the Advanced Clinic. Eligible students will be contacted about the application process prior to the Spring enrollment period.

* 3 clinical credits and 3 academic seminar credits are awarded each semester. The total for the year is 12 credits.